Totally turned around sleep wise!

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Sorry, just a quick gripe session.

I'm pretty awake yet ,and it's 4am here! I stayed up late studying for finals and doing homework the last week of school...a lot of times all night, or going to school on 1 or 2 hours sleep that final week, and I've been up all hours, sometimes most or all of the night since then...it's getting on my nerves to be on a different schedule from Craig (who generally goes to bed between 11pm to 1pm or so) and I don't even have a very interesting VJ to keep me occupied at night because well...everyone's sleepin'!! I read, or watch TV, or do a bit of housework, but ARGH!

I guess I may just have to bite the bullet and stay up all day today or something so I can sleep tomorrow night....only problem is, I already did that once but I dozed for an hour or two in the afternoon...was SO tired all day, and come 10 am I woke right up again! ARGH again!

I've always, always been a night person anyway, preferring to stay up until 1 or 2 when I can, but not like THIS. (the night owl routine kind of stinks when work started at 6:30, too, but you deal with it. )

Aw, anyway, thanks for listening to me vent whoever reads this. There's really not a big solution...just have to stay up so I'm exhausted, I suppose, but I hate the thought of it. I'm SO freakin' cranky when I'm tired!! M.

Edited January 6, 2007 by MichelleandCraig

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Ha I thought this was about sleeping in the bed with your head where your feet usually are.

(My husband is doing that right now )

Good luck turning your sleep schedule around. Maybe you can do it in stages -- each night, move bedtime an hour or two earlier -- until you get into the routine you want.

-MK

[featherB 1]

I can sympathise completely with this one... I alternate between night shifts and day shifts each week (I mean, days one week, nights the next, days the week after, repeat ad infinitum) and although I don't have too much trouble going from days to nights (like you, I'm more of a night person anyway, so staying up late to make myself sleep in all day isn't too difficult), I find it really, really hard to adjust back from nights to days. It's like being jetlagged, all the time. The suggestion about trying to 'fix' your body clock in stages is a good one, if you can do it over a few days. Otherwise, if you want (or have) to adjust back more quickly, the only thing that ever works for me is having a few hours sleep (no more than four, or it will all go horribly wrong!) around late morning/afternoon time after I've been awake all night, then forcing myself to get up, no matter how much I want to sleep. This results in being hellishly sleepy for the rest of the day, but by the time it gets to about 11pm I'm sooooo ready to just fall into my bed and get a normal night's sleep. I've tried the 'staying up all day and going to bed at a normal time' thing, and know it works for a lot of people, but I just can't do it. I find that by late afternoon or early evening, I just can't keep my eyes open anymore, and I feel awful. I end up giving in, going for a nap... and waking up at midnight or some ridiculous time, even more confused and 'jetlagged' than I started off!

Oops, rambling, I will stop now.... good luck getting back to normal!

[GaryC 7]

I've been on 3rd shift for 18 months now. Never did it before now. It really mess's with me to try to sleep in the day. My days off suck because I just stay up all night so I can go to work sunday night. I have told my boss that I must have first or second shift by the time Luz gets here. He assures me a 2nd shift job is a sure thing. We will see.

[featherB 1]

I've been on 3rd shift for 18 months now. Never did it before now. It really mess's with me to try to sleep in the day. My days off suck because I just stay up all night so I can go to work sunday night. I have told my boss that I must have first or second shift by the time Luz gets here. He assures me a 2nd shift job is a sure thing. We will see.

What's 3rd shift - an all-nighter? Doing permanent night shifts must suck... I know a couple of people who do that, and they have a choice between spending their days off trying to readjust to days, only to have to switch back again, or just becoming completely nocturnal. Neither of which does you any good, or is in any way conducive to having a life.

[Peggy 1]

Take a sleep aid to get to bed early for a night or two.

That will knock you out............lol

[Caladan 19]

Skip the caffeine, stay up, and then go to bed at your usual time. Or skip the caffeine and go to sleep earlier by one to two hours for a week.

[Fandango 1,440]

Do some vigorous laundry!

[Thingee 0]

I've been on 3rd shift for 18 months now. Never did it before now. It really mess's with me to try to sleep in the day. My days off suck because I just stay up all night so I can go to work sunday night. I have told my boss that I must have first or second shift by the time Luz gets here. He assures me a 2nd shift job is a sure thing. We will see.

Just my .02....a good portion of the time 2nd shift is harder having a family than 3rd. If family members work normal hours or go to school you'll end up seeing them on the weekends only.

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Thanks, everyone...

Well, Craig was tired last night so went to bed kinda early, so he woke up about 4:30...once he wakes up, he gets up..so at least got a few hours alone with him this am before the kiddo got up for paper route, etc...then Craig took him around on it as he (corey) hurt his ankle in basketball practice yesterday...he normally rides his bike.

Anyway, as usual, I digress...I'm just waking up. I last looked at the clock around 8, and I got up at 12.... even though that's a full 4 hrs, I still feel really tired at mo' so I'm hoping I won't wake up too much by tonight! Seems like even when I barely get any sleep, I get my 2nd wind late at night...I worked 3rd shift for about 3 1/2 years in my old job too, and found it quite easy to stay up...but it is hard on the body. People just don't have the same respect for not calling you in the day, there's people outside you can hear, especially in summer! etc etc...plus, who wants to come home and go to bed when it's all sunny and beautiful at 8/9 am!? When my ex and I split up (we were living together for six years, though not married, uh oh... ) I went from 2nd to 3rd shift for just that reason you mentioned Thingee...I was going to be the only parent in the house, and I would have been gone when he got home from school untill 10:30 pm after he was in bed. Luckily I had parents who kept him while I worked, and I just picked him off and sent him off to school...I could have gone to bed right away, but it was always hard to get there...Laundry's always a good idea, but it never puts me to sleep either... heh...Anyway, sorry for the *very* rambling post, but thanks for the advice.... M.

[eric&gen 0]

I used to work night for about 8 years from 10pm to 730am still couldnt sleep good during the day. I wake up every few hours. Now that im on day shift for the past 5 years i feel much better.

[Fandango 1,440]

After a vigorouse laundry sesh, I'm goosed! Can't imagine I'm alone in this?

Seriously tho...and I'm sure this is too personal, but since you brought it up....what does Craig think about this? Putting myself in his shoes, I'd be feelin pretty crappy if I moved to D and instead of bein in bed with me, he was up online or watchin movies or whatever. Perhaps a Dr can give you a sleeping pill so you can get on a better schedule before it becomes an issue with Craig.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

After a vigorouse laundry sesh, I'm goosed! Can't imagine I'm alone in this?

Seriously tho...and I'm sure this is too personal, but since you brought it up....what does Craig think about this? Putting myself in his shoes, I'd be feelin pretty crappy if I moved to D and instead of bein in bed with me, he was up online or watchin movies or whatever. Perhaps a Dr can give you a sleeping pill so you can get on a better schedule before it becomes an issue with Craig.

LisaD,

Where's your imagination and spontaneity? Being in bed together is not a prerequisite for nor prohibits a healthy sex life. There are some that enjoy morning romps in the hay, you know?

[MichelleandCraig 1]

He understands because he went through the same thing for a few weeks some time ago. He knows it's nothing personal..and believe me, it's not! I'd rather be there too, thus the gripe session. I'm really tired now,so hopefully I can get to sleep tonight. The trick is getting up at a decent time tomorrow, so I'm tired again tomorrow night. M.

Besides, Craig has been here 2 years..it's not like he just got arrived a couple months ago or something. We spend a *lot* of time together... M.

[Fandango 1,440]

After a vigorouse laundry sesh, I'm goosed! Can't imagine I'm alone in this?

Seriously tho...and I'm sure this is too personal, but since you brought it up....what does Craig think about this? Putting myself in his shoes, I'd be feelin pretty crappy if I moved to D and instead of bein in bed with me, he was up online or watchin movies or whatever. Perhaps a Dr can give you a sleeping pill so you can get on a better schedule before it becomes an issue with Craig.

LisaD,

Where's your imagination and spontaneity? Being in bed together is not a prerequisite for nor prohibits a healthy sex life. There are some that enjoy morning romps in the hay, you know?

Two separate thoughts.....I wasn't referring to sex itself in the second part of my post, only the intimacy of sleeping with your spouse.

I would tell D...'I didn't move all the way to the UK to sleep in an empty bed while you stay up bullsh!tting all night long online'

Just givin MY take on it